Should Tottenham fail to win their gimme game in hand, that hand will be wiping egg off that puffy face.

For those who don't support Tottenham, the frequently heard refrain of, "we've got such and such points, and when we win our game in hand..." got old a long time ago. At long last the fixture lost to the months-ago unpleasantness in London (August riots) will be resolved on Wednesday, and none too soon.

Whether he is the best left-back at Arsenal or not, Andre Santos has given Gooners some moments of brilliance, such as his smooth strike at Stamford Bridge at the weekend and his similarly well-taken goal against Olympiacos. Unfortunately, though, he hasn't yet provided a flawless game for the Gunners and his last game against the [.

Bayern home games have a fascination of their own. For the past couple of seasons I developed the habit of watching the first half of a FC Barcelona game to cap off a hectic and unpredictable day of Bundesliga action. I did it less for the uncertainty of the result, but the uncertainty of how many goals Barca could score before the break.

Stoke City 1 Jones 44′
Liverpool 2 Suarez 54′ 85′

After the first half it seemed as though it was going to be the same old story for Liverpool: Possession, passing, at times slick play, and an inability to finish. Throw in a Kenwyne Jones goal a minute before the break after sloppy defending led to Stoke's first and only chance of the half, a hostile venue, and another referee who seemed determined not to call anything on Luis Suarez, and it had the makings of a hugely frustrating day for the visitors.

Why it wasn't good enough from Rooney or Capello

All that money, Fabio, and where are we? Scraping draws against the likes of Montenegro and ­Switzerland to limp into the Euro 2012 Finals. All that money, Wayne, and where were you? Back in the dressing room after one of the most stupid and rash red cards of your career.

Dempsey seemed frustrated in his first match under Klinsmann

The Yanks went to Brussels Tuesday and failed to flex against the home Red Devils from Belgium, falling 1-0 in a sloppy match in Seattle-like conditions. The States again controlled the run of play early and relinquished it and with it the lead as the match progressed.

The MLS All-Star Game at Red Bull Arena last night had the atmosphere and feeling of a big time sporting event. Despite the result, the game was a success for Major League Soccer. Here are four things we learned;

1. Major League Soccer has figured out how to put on a show of grand scale.

Twenty-six years ago, number 23 launched himself from the free-throw line and produced one of the most indelible moments in NBA history. The result was a perfect score of 50, and another early milestone for the kid who would become 'Air Jordan.' Fast forward to this past February. A relatively unknown kid from the Congo also took off from the free-throw line sparking immediate comparisons to Jordan's dunk and ecstatic praise from the commentators.

Written by Gooner in Exile

I read with interest Craig Bellamy's comments before the England Wales game the other week. Although I don't like the irritating little bugger I thought this quote may shine some light on our recent performances.

"Are England players scared?

Edu scored two goals against Inter Milan
It really is rare seeing eleven goals scored in just two matches. Thanks to some brash decision-making, poor defending and wonderful moments of brilliance, fans got to see two amazing matches between Schalke 04 and Inter Milan and Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur.

Edu scored two goals against Inter Milan
It really is rare seeing eleven goals scored in just two matches. Thanks to some brash decision-making, poor defending and wonderful moments of brilliance, fans got to see two amazing matches between Schalke 04 and Inter Milan and Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur.

Well, it's official, LFC have agreed upon a fee with Chelsea and Torres is now free to discuss personal terms and undertake the medical.

For all that it seems like only yesterday that Torres was Liverpool's savior, destined to go down as one of the all time greats, looking back it's been a rather sad, slow decline over these past eighteen or so months that has led to today.

Liverpool have confirmed that they've accepted a bid from Hoffenheim for Ryan Babel. Media reports put the fee at €7m, or £5.8m, which is almost exactly 50% of what Liverpool paid for the winger/striker/professional Tweeter in the summer of 2007. The deal's not done yet – Babel still has to agree personal terms – but I expect we're past the point of no return.